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2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

(No Model.)

E. A. SPERRY. ELECTRIC ARC LAMP.

No. 480,525. Patented Aug. 9, 1892.

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2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

(No Model.)

B. A. SPERRY. ELECTRIC ARC LAMP. No. 480,625. Patented Aug. 9, 1892.

UNITED ST TES PATENT OFFICE.

ELMER A. SPERRY, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO THE SPERRY ELECTRICCOMPANY, OF SAME PLACE.

ELECTRIC-ARC LAM P.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 480,525, dated August9, 1892.

Application filed June '7, 1890- Serial No. 354,604! (No model.)

To aZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ELMER A. SPERRY, a citizen of the United States,residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, haveinvented a certain new and useful Improvement in Are Lamps, of which thefollowing is a full, clear, and exact specification.

My invention relates to are lights, and has for its object to provide anare light with a regulating mechanism which shall be exceedinglysensitive and delicate in its operation and a cut-out which shall sooperate as to cause the lamp when extinguished to automaticallyre-establish an arc and shall have Various other advantages hereinaftermore fully set forth.

My invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein-Figure l is a side part-sectional view with the parts shown when thelamp is out of operation. Fig. 2 is a somewhat similar view with the areestablished. Fig. 3 isadiagrammatic view of the connections of thecut-out, and Fig. 4 is a detail of the carbon-lifting orarc-establishing mechanism.

Like parts are indicated by the same letter in all the figures.

A A are the binding-posts whereby the line conductors A A are connectedwith the lamp. From A the conductor leads into the maincircuit magnet Band thence to the frame, which is insulated at 0. To this frame thebrush D is secured, and it bears against the upper-carbon rod. The lowercarbon is electrically connected with theline conductor A From theconductor A a shunt-conductor leads to the covered solenoid E and thenceto the conductor A Another shunt-circuit leads from the conductor A tothe resistancecoil F and thence to the fixed insulated piece F, whichserves as a contact-point for the armature Fiwhich is controlled by themagnet F and spring N. From this magnet-coil leads a conductor to thebinding-post connected with the circuit-conductorA These connections areshown diagrammatically in Fig. 3.

G is the top of the lamp-case; G, the bottom; G an inner plate above theinsulation C, on which the regulating mechanism is secured.

G G are the sides of a frame, supported on elastic arms G G", whichproject from the rear standard Each of the pieces G G has a lug G whichrides upon the trunnions G G on the arm G which is pivoted to thestandard G at G and is adjustably held at its rear end by the spring Gand at its other extremity carries the core G forthe solenoid E and thecylinder G which slides upon the plunger G13 to form a dash-pot. Thebindingposts A A are insulated at H II.

J is the upper portion of the lamp, in which the carbon-rod Jreciprocates, which rod passes through suitable guides-as, for example,through the guide-arm J Rigid upon the standard G is the piece K, towhich the main-circuit magnet B is fixed, so that the said magnet has nomotion. In front of this magnet, however, is disposed the pivotedarmature K which is attached mid way to the plunger K of the dash-potK*, which is also fixed on the frame-piece K to which the main-circuitmagnet is secured. Around the plunger is the spring K which tends toforce the armature away from the magnet.

At the end of the armature K is the rod or pitman K, which engages thepivoted bar K by means of a loose or lost motion pivotal connection Kthe bar K being pivoted to the bar K so as to form a knuckle-joint. Thebar K is pivoted on the elastic frame or on a frame-piece connected withthe pieces G G and hence is vertically movable on the elastic supports GAt the upper extremity of the bar K is the carbon-clutch rod L, whichencircles such rod and normally rests upon the fulcrum L and is held atits rear end by the spiral spring L M and M are the carbons, suitablysupported in the usual manner. of the lower carbon are not shown, asthey are familiarly understood. The pivoted armature F is normallyforced away from the contact F by the spring N, and to this armature issecured the hook N, adapted to be engaged by the arm G8 when the latteris abnormally depressed.

The detail shown in Fig. 4 exhibits more fully the arrangement of thelifting mechanism, wherein it is seen that there are dupli- The supportscates of the bars K K and K and the lower end of the bar K isbifurcated. The whole of the operating mechanism is inclosed by thecylinder R. Of course it is apparent that a considerable change could bemade in this device without departing from the spirit of my inventionas,for instance, it would require no great modification to substitutemagnets for solenoids and solenoids for magnets and otherwise changescould be made as to size of parts and character of the springs, and soon. The spring G might be reversed and placed between the fulcrum G andthe core G. The conducting-wires are not shown in Figs. 1 and 2, as theywould only confuse, and are sufficiently set out in the descriptivematter to show the connection of the parts. The brush D is of courseadjustably secured upon the portion D, which projects from the elasticframe. By this arrangement of parts it will be seen that the parts to bemoved by the operation of the solenoid E are exceedingly light,consisting of the elastic frame, the carbon-clutching mechanism, and theupper carbon and rod only. The lost-motion connection K permits theknuckle-bars to straighten out and the pivotal point between the bars Kand K to pass the vertical line at the end of their motion in eitherdirection, and thus they are given a free movement and the operation ofthe feeding mechanism is unobstructed. The bar K exercises no power overthe bars K and K after the are has been established until by relaxationof the current in the main magnet the said bar is moved to the left tocause the release of the upper-carbon rod. The stop Z is provided tostop the motion of the knuckle-joint bars if there should be anytendency for them to move too far.

The use and operation of my invention are as follows: Having referencefirst to the establishment of the arc, it is assumed that when the lampis out of operation the carbons are in contact and none of the magnetsenergized, so that the armature K will be in the position indicated infull lines in Fig. l and the armature F will be separated from itscontact F. If now the current passes through the lamp, the first actionis to energize the main-circuit magnet B, thus forcing the armature Kinto the position shown in dotted lines in Fig. 1 and full lines in Fig.2, and this forces forward the rod or'rods K and moves the members ofthe knuckleq'oint so that their parts come into the positions indicatedin dotted lines in Fig. 1 and full lines in Fig. 2. Of course as soon asthe clutch-rod L rises in the slightest degree it will separate itselffrom the fulcrum L, and, being lifted upward at one end and pulled downby the spring L at the other, it will clamp the carbon-rod J and liftthe upper carbon and establish the arc, since the same current thatenergizes the main-circuit magnet is passing through the carbons. lVhenthe lamp is shunted out or the current is discontinued, the parts willresume their normal positions. The parts are protected from injury inthe motion of the armature K toward its magnet B by means ofthe'dash-pot K and when the current 1S cut out the parts are restored totheir orlginal positions by the springs K and L and the fulcrum L, whichis so adjusted with reference to the spring L that a very slight motionwill be sufiicient to cause it to free the carbon-rod J. This motion isso slight that it is impossible to illustrate it, as the dotted linesseem to be almost parallel with the full lines in the two positions ofthe clutch-rod L. It will be observed that the main-circuit magnet isrigid and not secured upon the swinging frame, and the same is true ofits armature; but it will also be observed that inasmuch as thebarswhich constitute the knucklejoint are pivoted upon the elastic frameor frame -pieces, which are supported by the elastic arm G, theupper-carbon rod with these portions of the are being established aresupported upon an elasticframe capable of vertical motion. XVithreference to the feeding mechanism, that arm GB is also rigidly pivotedat one end, and the shunt-circuit passes at the same time as the maincircuit through the shunt-magnet E, thus energizing it and exercising aninfluence over the core G ,which is drawn downward in opposition to thespring G and the dash-pot G but now it will be observed that the elasticframe rests upon the trunnions Gr G and hence is moved vertically withthe motion of the arms G This of course raises and lowers the clampingmechanism, and thus feeds the upper carbon without releasing it from itsclutch by vertically moving the clutch mechanism responsive to thechanges in the current; but as the core descends it will lower theelastic frame and clutch mechanism until the carbonrod is free from itsclutch, either by the engagement of the clutch-rod L with the fulcrum Lor otherwise, and immediately the carbons will be brought near together,a greater proportion of current pass through them, and the shuntmagnetwill release its core to that degree, and the operation will continue inthis manner, the are being sustained with great delicacy and regularity.With respect to the cutout mechanism, if the current passing through thecarbons should be interfered with by separation of the carbors or if themotion of the upper carbon should tend to cease or become difficult agreater proportion of current would be diverted through the shunt E.Thereupon the core G would be drawn into the magnet E and the arm G bedrawn down until it engaged the end of the hook N, whereupon a continuedmotion in this direction would raise the armature F in opposition to thespring N until it engaged the contact F, whereupon the current would bediverted from the shunt through the resistance-coil F and magnet F. Thisdiversion of the current would immediately free the core G and permitthe rod G8 to rise. At the same time the diversion of current would freethe magnet B from the current, so that it would release its armature Kand the parts would come into the position shown in Fig. 1 and the uppercarbon would fall upon the lower. This would immediately re-establishthe circuit, for the resistance F would shunt a certain amount ofcurrent through the circuit including the magnet B, and that amount ofshunted current would be sufficient when shunted from the coil F topermitthe spring Nto overcome the power of such coil and break thecircuit, and thus send the entire current through the main-circuitmagnet B and shunt-coil E. In this manner the arc will be automaticallyre-established. In the event of any slight imperfection or want ofoperativeness in the feeding mechanism, and should any permanentdifficulty arise to prevent the continuance of the arc, the extra lossof current in the arc would be represented solely by the resistance-coilF.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secureby Letters Patent, is as follows:

In an arc lamp, the combination of a vertically-movable frame with acarbon-separating mechanism thereon, containing a clutch supported atone end by toggle-bars with a spring from the other end of such clutchto the fixed frame, an intermediate adjustable stop, a main-circuitmagnet fixed in position, provided with an armature connected with suchtoggle-bars, so that the main-circuit magnet when energized will causethe carbons to sepa rate, and a fixed shunt-magnet provided with anarmature on. which the frame is suspended, so that by the action of theshunt-magnet the frame is moved to disconnect the clutch and permit theupper carbon to fall upon the lower.

ELMER A. SPERRY. lVitnesses:

CELESTE P. CHAPMAN, DAVIDA J. JOHNSON.

